Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33981617›Full record

ArticleEuropean thyroid journal2021

Benefits and Limitations of TKIs in Patients with Medullary Thyroid Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Zoe A Efstathiadou, Charalambos Tsentidis, Alexandra Bargiota, Vasiliki Daraki, Kalliopi Kotsa, Georgia Ntali, Labrini Papanastasiou, Stelios Tigas, Konstantinos Toulis, Kalliopi Pazaitou-Panayiotou and 1 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European thyroid journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Selpercatinib in the treatment of thyroid cancer.Future oncology (London, England) · 2025
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. [European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2023
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Kinase inhibitors in thyroid cancers.Endocrine oncology (Bristol, England) · 2023
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Current Guidelines for Management of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma.Endocrinology and metabolism (Seoul, Korea) · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 11 institutions in 1 country.

Zoe A EfstathiadouDepartment of Endocrinology, "Hippokration" General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Charalambos TsentidisDepartment of Endocrinology, General Hospital of Nikaia "Agios Panteleimon", Piraeus, Greece.
Alexandra BargiotaDepartment of Endocrinology, University of Thessaly, Larisa, Greece.
Vasiliki DarakiDepartment of Endocrinology, University Hospital of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
Kalliopi KotsaDepartment of Endocrinology, "Ahepa" Hospital, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Georgia NtaliDepartment of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, "Evangelismos" Hospital Athens, Athens, Greece.
Labrini PapanastasiouDepartment of Endocrinology and Diabetes Center, Athens General Hospital "G. Gennimatas", Athens, Greece.
Stelios TigasDepartment of Endocrinology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Konstantinos ToulisDepartment of Endocrinology, 424 Military Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Kalliopi Pazaitou-PanayiotouDivision of Endocrinology, Endocrine Oncology, Interbalkan Medical Center, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Maria AlevizakiEndocrine Unit, Department of Medical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
424 General Military Hospital · GRAHEPA University Hospital · GREvangelismos Hospital · GRGeneral Hospital of Athens G. Genimatas · GRGeneral Hospital of Nikea · GRInterbalkan Medical Center · GRIppokrateio General Hospital of Thessaloniki · GRNational and Kapodistrian University of Athens · GRUniversity Hospital of Heraklion · GRUniversity of Ioannina · GRUniversity of Thessaly · GR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been used in patients with advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC); however, data on their effectiveness and safety are limited. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to document clinical response and toxicities of TKIs in advanced MTC.

methodsWe systematically searched major databases for articles or abstracts on TKI use in MTC patients until May 2018. Objective response (OR), defined as the sum of complete + partial response, expressed as percentage, was our primary endpoint, while disease stability, disease progression (DP), median progression-free survival (PFS), and drug discontinuation rate due to adverse events (AEs) were secondary endpoints. Pooled percentages, PFS time, and 95% CIs were reported.

resultsThirty-three publications were finally included in the analysis: 1 phase IV, 2 phase III trials evaluating vandetanib and cabozantinib, respectively, 20 phase I or II studies, and the remaining 10 studies of retrospective-observational nature. OR was documented in 28.6% (95% CI 25.9-31.9) of patients. Stable disease was recorded in 46.2% (95% CI 43.3-49.1). Overall, DP was observed in 22.9% (95% CI 20.4-27.6). Grade 3 or more AEs occurred in 48.5% (95% CI 45.5-51.5) of patients, and drug discontinuation was reported in 44.7% (95% CI 41.7-47.6). In general, use of TKIs conferred a PFS of 23.3 months (95% CI 21.07-25.5). In particular, vandetanib induced an OR in 33.8% (95% CI 29.6-38.0) of patients and cabozantinib in 27.7% (95% CI 22.05-33.4). DP occurred in 23.7% (95% CI 19.9-27.6) with vandetanib use and in 22.6% (95% CI 17.4-27.9) in cabozantinib-treated patients. Sorafenib, the third most frequently studied drug, showed intermediate efficacy, but higher discontinuation rates.

conclusionTreatment with TKIs in MTC patients with progressive disease is associated with a moderate therapeutic benefit, with achievement of either disease stability or partial response in 73%. The toxicity of these drugs is not negligible, but it is, nonetheless, manageable.

Indexed as

Medullary thyroid cancerTyrosine kinaseTyrosine kinase inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID33981617
PMCPMC8077374
OpenAlexW3086928000

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.